ECOWAS concludes strategic retreat focused on agriculture development

The Directorate of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) within the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has wrapped up a strategic retreat aimed at bolstering food security and rural development across West Africa. Held from February 10 to 14, 2025, at Zuma Resort in Niger State, Nigeria, the event gathered DARD leadership, project managers, monitoring and evaluation experts, and staff members.

Mr. Alain Sy TRAORE, Director of Agriculture and Rural Development, emphasized the significance of the retreat for aligning with ECOWAS' broader vision: "This retreat is a critical opportunity for us to reflect on our achievements, align our efforts with ECOWAS’ broader vision, and chart a course for the future. By fostering collaboration and innovation, we can ensure that our agricultural programs have a lasting impact on food security and rural development across the region."

During the sessions, Mrs. Fatmata L. SEIWOH provided insights into how National Agricultural Investment Plans (NAIP) and Regional Agricultural Investment Plan (RAIP) support the Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP). The retreat also featured presentations on various projects such as the Rice Agenda and USAID IL02B.

Participants engaged in knowledge-sharing sessions on communication tools like SharePoint and social media platforms. Practical work planning sessions were conducted to enhance project management skills.

Team-building activities led by Mrs. Olubusola OGUNLOLU highlighted the importance of collaboration within DARD's initiatives. Insights on work planning were shared through group presentations to ensure alignment among different units.

On the final day, discussions focused on procurement codes and IT system guidelines. The Director encouraged innovative thinking to advance DARD's mission: "The deep conversations and insights during the five-day retreat will contribute to the shared goal of revolutionizing West African agriculture and rural development."

In related activities outside this retreat, ECOWAS welcomed delegations from other regional economic communities including EAC, IGAD, ECCAS; these interactions are part of collaborative efforts in areas like human mobility in climate change contexts.

Commissioner Abdel Fatau MUSAH along with other officials such as Honourable Abdou KOLLEY participated in these engagements which underscore ECOWAS' commitment to strengthening regional ties for enhanced agricultural progress.